EXHILARATING VIBE AT THE ROUND MALTA RACE

Seventeen, fully crewed yachts took part in the Royal Malta Yacht Club’s final race of the year, an annual appointment that is kept by many returning crews for the Round Malta Race.

The course chosen was to take the yachts on a southerly route leaving the Munxar Cardinal buoy to starboard then on around Malta via the South Comino channel to finish at Marsamxett.

Yachts started in two groups into a moderate East South Easterly breeze with grey clouds looming.

Four yachts started at 08:31 in the cruiser class, with Inspiration getting their timing quite right and being first off the line. However the much larger, and newest addition to the fold, Miame Too soon overtook to windward and led the fleet out to the first mark.

The twelve IRC Class 1 & 2 yachts started about nine minutes later with a couple of very close calls while tacking out of Marsamxett.

The fleet soon spread out and by Munxar it was Xpedite, Elusive II, Unica and Xpresso that dominated the order. The pace was above average with the wind keeping the yachts very much a straight course close to the rhumb line.

The first IRC Class 1 yacht to cross the finish line was Xpedite at 13:59 followed by Elusive II at 14:00 with Xpresso close behind at 14:01. Ratings came into play at the eventual order after time corrections it was Elusive II to clinch first place, followed by Unica and Xpresso in second and third place respectively with just nine minutes separating the first and third.

The first IRC Class 2 yacht over the line was Seawolf of Southampton at 14:43 followed by Puddleduck at 14:50. Sailaway crossed at 15:00. There was no change to this order even after time corrections were calculated.

The IRC Class 4 had three boats competing with final placing going to Manana then Inspiration and Janissah. The new Miame Too was in a class of its own in the RMYC Cruiser.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club’s 2017 Racing Calendar will kick off on the 21st January with the start of the Malta Sailing League.